Summer of Stink: America's Garbage Strike Leaves Cities Drowning in Trash

Published: July 2025 

Overflowing dumpsters, swarms of flies, and the stench of rotting waste baking in the summer sun — this is the reality hitting American neighbourhoods coast to coast. As the nationwide strike by sanitation workers enters its fourth week, thousands of garbage collectors employed by Republic Services have walked off the job, demanding fair pay and safer working conditions.

The strike began on July 1st in the Greater Boston area and quickly spread to several states, including California, Georgia, Illinois, and Washington. At its peak, more than 2,000 workers were off the job, resulting in disruptions to waste collection for millions of residents.

🗑️ Why Are Sanitation Workers Striking?

The Teamsters union, which represents Republic Services employees, says its members are being paid significantly less than other sanitation workers in similar roles and lack competitive health and safety benefits.

"The cost of living is high. What they're offering, I couldn't live on in a month," said Mike Ortiz, a 17-year industry veteran from Malden, MA.

Republic, a Fortune 500 company that generated $16 billion in revenue last year, disputes the union's claims, accusing the Teamsters of spreading "disinformation" and refusing to compromise.

📍 Cities Hit Hard — and Getting Creative

The strike has left entire cities grappling with trash overflow, public health concerns, and escalating frustration.

In Gloucester, Massachusetts, Mayor Greg Vargas says Republic failed to uphold its promise to provide backup workers during the strike.

"They told us not to worry," said Vargas. "That's not been delivered since day one."

Gloucester and five other towns have now filed lawsuits against Republic for breach of contract. Meanwhile, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced fines against the company for failing to meet its obligations, stating that the strike was causing an "unacceptable toll".

⚠️ Sanitation Chaos Fuels Tensions

Photos from across the US show dumpsters overflowing outside businesses, homes, and public areas. In Lacey, Washington, residents described weeks without garbage collection, resulting in piled-up diapers and growing concerns over rats and mosquitoes.

Eric Fiel, a sanitation worker from the region, spoke about the dangerous conditions, describing how workers sometimes had to wade through pools of contaminated water filled with waste and broken medical vials due to equipment neglect.

"It's full of feces, diapers, animal waste — whatever comes through," Fiel said.

🧱 Union vs. Corporation: Legal and Public Battles

While some localised agreements have been reached — such as in Lacey, WA, and Manteca, CA — other areas remain locked in conflict. The Republic has filed lawsuits against the union, alleging vandalism, harassment, and misconduct, which the Teamsters deny.

"Power lies in solidarity," said Will Zekas, a striker in Lacey.

Meanwhile, small businesses are struggling. In Malden, coffee shop owner Glaicy Santos voiced frustration over daily trash buildup:

"It's horrible. We need weekly pickups. Now we're seeing mosquitoes and even rodents."

With no new talks scheduled, cities are resorting to temporary fixes — setting up public dump sites, redirecting city workers to collect trash, and even hiring alternative contractors at taxpayer expense.